I spent the best £9 ever on Monday.
Two bags of play sand.
This will provide hours of entertainment over the summer and enable me to do more gardening whilst the kids are having fun!
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| The sandpit in the veg garden last year |
Last year I had the sandpit in one of the veg beds. This was great most of the time as my eldest could play really near to me (which she loved), the only trouble was when she had friends round to play they wanted to go in the sandpit and I was always a little worried that they'd destroy the veg around them. They didn't know the rules like she did - constantly nagged to stay on the paths!. Also my youngest isn't anywhere near as careful and charges head first everywhere.
So this year I've decided to put it just outside the veg garden. This spot only grew weeds last year so I put some cardboard and wood chip down first to suppress them and give the girls somewhere nice to play. It also makes the area less maintenance for me as I could never be bothered to strim around the shrub!
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| Another little area for the kids to play in. |
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| One happy girl! |
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| Another happy girl! First time in the sand pit this year and I didn't hear a word from her for an hour! |
Another cheap thing to keep the kids entertained. In fact, believe it or not, that's the same sandpit I had as a child! That makes it some 30 years old - Not sure how mum managed to keep it all those years without it breaking but the plastic still seems okay even now, I'm just careful to store it in a shed over the worst of the winter so it'll last even longer.
What else could I build/create to keep the kids entertained in the garden?
What fun ;) Your mum sounds like me - when my daughter gave birth to her daughter a year ago Ialso gave her all her toys from 30 years ago. Why toss them if they're still good?
ReplyDeleteIf your little ones are going to spend a lot of time in their new sandpit perhaps a small kiddie pergola would be a good idea -to give their tender skin some protection from the UV rays?
There's been loads of the toys that my mum has dug out of the loft! It's really brought back some memories.
DeleteI live the idea of a little pergola and I think I'll have to do this as there is very little shade in the garden in the summer.
Water, but you would have to watch them, or a blackboard and chalks.
ReplyDeleteI've already made a few blackboards and they love them - http://www.englishhomestead.com/2014/06/cheap-outdoor-fun-for-kids-blackboards.html
DeleteAs for the water they're drawn to it like a magnet! They love nothing more than a half full bucket and a few plant pots!
Don't forget to cover it though otherwise cats will poo in it.
ReplyDeleteThere is a cover but I've been here for three years and not seen a cat! None of our neighbours have one so we have lots of birds and no cat poop!
DeleteWhat about a shed pub/ play house for you all? Perhaps in a Hobbit style with a grass roof?
ReplyDeleteThey already have the playhouse with decking to the side. I need to do another post on it since I've added the decking, opening windows and shop canopy over the window!
Deletei would go for a water table with old jugs cups pots etc they love water play, some shade is a good idea too
ReplyDeleteYeah I need to work on the shade. Last year was a struggle and we'd end up following or one lonely tree around the garden as the sun moved across the sky!
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ReplyDeleteSpammer!
DeleteKev - THAT sandpit is awesome and i am sure the girls will love it. i also love the idea of a water table.
ReplyDeleteyour friend,
kymber
Yeah it keeps them entertained and lets me grow stuff!
DeleteHow fun for your girls, I have to ask what is a water table? Several bloggers have suggested that as a toy for them. I don't guess I know what that is LOL.
ReplyDeleteIt's like a little table that holds about three inches of water and has little fans on and things for them to pour the water through!
DeleteDo you have a large tree nearby? An old tyre and some rope and a swing is created. We did it for our littles and kept them out of our hair safely for hours. Perhaps one for each?
ReplyDeleteNo tree's in the garden except for one evergreen. We've got some big oak trees in the field next door so I might put one in for when they're a little older. We have a little swing but it needs fixing down as it tries to swing with them!
Deletemake a 'mud kitchen', basically an outdoor kitchen they can make mud pies, etc, use old bun tins, ladles, cooking equipment, camping stuff is good, also pinterest have lots of lovely ideas on mud kitchens and they needn't cost hardly anything...
ReplyDeleteI was teaching my eldest to make mud pies the other day! But I have looked at making a little area for it with some old camping stuff like you say and the name mud kitchen is great!
Deletemake a 'mud kitchen', basically an outdoor kitchen they can make mud pies, etc, use old bun tins, ladles, cooking equipment, camping stuff is good, also pinterest have lots of lovely ideas on mud kitchens and they needn't cost hardly anything...
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ReplyDeleteMy mum drives me insane with the stuff she pulls out of nowhere and tries to fob off onto me. That being said when she found my playmobil fishing trawler from 1983 I forgave all.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny what they come up with! To be honest I wasn't expecting this sandpit to have lasted, plastic normally goes brittle and cracks but this is still pretty strong!
DeleteI wonder if there's any of my playmobil stuff left...
I bet every cat within ten miles comes to visit Kev's potty box garden. My ferrets would be in a state of ecstasy.
ReplyDeleteIn three years of being here I haven't seen a cat! None of the neighbours have one and it was the first question I was asked when I moved in - they didn't want one as they all like the song birds too much. It's the good part of living in a little hamlet like this.
DeleteThe sandpit also has a lid!